It’s not everyday we get to speak to a beauty guru who has a resume as impressive as Jose Rivera’s, Benefit’s Makeup Master. Jose has been in the business of applying makeup for over 15 years and he is most well known for creating the Sephora Pro Beauty Team and has worked as Lead Makeup Artist for 12 seasons at New York Fashion Week.
Here are some vital tips from Jose in conjunction with the launch of Benefit’s Majorette blush, the brand’s newest cream to powder blush that gives you a natural flush!
1. Mix moisturiser and highlighter
Jose mixes Moisture Prep and High Beam and presses it onto the model’s chin, outer cheekbones, nose bridge and the middle part of forehead to create a luminous lit-from-within look.
2. Mix serum and foundation together
Preping skin is crucial when it comes to makeup. Mix 2 pumps of foundation and 1 pump of hydrating serum. Skin looks plump if properly hydrated.
- for a natural look, use a sponge or fingers
- for a dramatic look, use a brush (preferably flat brush)
- for oily/porous skin, use a sponge or blush brush
Use the flat part of a brush to apply foundation and the tip of the brush to blend. To create a natural contour/dimension, focus foundation on where you want light to reflect on your face. Always keep it light because the more foundation you have on, the whiter your face will look when photographed.
3. Spray face mist on brush before applying blush
Take 2 fingers and place them next to your nose, that’s where you should start applying blush, Jose is using Majorette. Spray Ultra Radiance Mist on a natural bristle brush to soften the bristles and sheer out the colour. Hold the brush further back, start from the cheekbone, using hard, medium, light strokes across cheeks. Create colour as if emanating from cheeks. Majorette can be applied over powder blush (use a brush) OR under powder blush (use fingers)
4. How to draw a perfect winged look with eyeliner
Perfect your winged eyeliner look by holding they’re real! push-up liner pen vertically from the tip of the nose to the lower lash line and place a stamp that extends for both eyes. This ensures that both your wings are equally/identically angled. Then line and fill in the lines by resting the AccuFlex™ tip on the base of your lashes, slowly guide along your lashline from the inner or outer corner.
5. Hot towel to soften lips
Jose suggests placing a hot towel in between lips and move your lips from side to side to slough off dead skin cell and soften lips. This helps lipcolour adhere easily and prevents it from flaking
6. Use lip tint as lip liner
Jose suggests using a lip tint to draw on the outer part of lips like you would with lip liners. Leave it on for 5 minutes or longer. The lip tint will leave a stain; hence you get a stronger and more long lasting lip liner.
